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Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3670, 29 September 1880, Page 2

H. A. Sevbbn is in India, having received a Government ■ appointment ia connection with the goldfieldg of Central Hindustan. His family were by laat acooants residing at Brussels, Belgium.

The proverbial Yankee planter is depicted by those who know least about him as being in the habit of wandering about his spacious domains whittling a "chunk of wood." The habit of plying the pocket-knife is inherent ia the Britisher, .and doubtless it may hare descended in a measure to our Western cousins. If our relatives across the Atlantic had taken the habit off. oar shoulders entirely we should not have grumbled. The modern son of Brittania is a trifle too fond of his pockekknife— not with the object of slaying hit fellowman, certainly, but for the purpose of carving his own particular initials upon every convenient spot. Hardly a show place in England, Ireland, and Scotland has escaped the whittling of " 'Arry'fl " knife. He has carved his name in every church, hotel, tree, rock, or " seat" of " any note. It is pleasing, however, to find that he occasionally gets " pinched " for his proclivities. On Saturday one oJI these amateur carvers made his appeal^ ance before Mr Faget at Wandsworth Police Court, charged with cutting his initials upon a seat on Wimbledon Common. His excuse that someone else had done the same thing before him availed him very little, for he was fined five shillings and costs. This may possibly persuade him that in future it will be well to leave the world in ignorance of the fact that his august presence bad graced this or that particular spot. Two of those ornaments made of Plaster of Paris flavoured with sugar, were bestowed upon an urchin, with the usual warning, "Don't eat them, whatyou do; they will poison you." For some time they were regarded by him and his younger brother with mingled awe and admiration; but at no distant day they missed one. "Tom," said she to the owner, who was just setting jß&th for school, " what have cc done wir** figure P" "Giv'd it to Dick,^ wa» ti* reply; " and if he's living/™ 611 I comt home, I mean to eat "De other one* myself." t An American paper c«a°tes a couplet bj N Benjamin Erauklin, if 8 illustrating the advances made of lateLJ ears IQ tn» art of 11 getting on." Fran^// n. wrote—" He thi»t oy the plough woild,tn«*e, Himself must either hold or driv 6*. "he Yankee version, adapted to tl'° V Ol*8 * is—"He that by his trade woi'ld ris« Must either bust or advertise." _-